How to clean your barrel back to bare metal.

My process involves getting a barrel back to bare metal and removing the pesky carbon ring that forms in the chamber over time, which can affect accuracy, as well as pressure and copper fouling, which I believe many people overlook. I remember growing up and just using Hops Number 9 and calling it clean, as I didn’t know any better at the time. One of the best investments you can make is a quality Bore Cam. I like the Lyman BORECAM 2.0.

Where to buy.

MIDWAY USA https://alnk.to/3J8sMcy

Now I know better. I feel as though everyone else should have provided all the available information on the internet and YouTube. Not to say that all of it's good information, but it’s out there. So, I have found a process that works for me on my rifles. This is what works for me and should work for most, but there's always more than one way to skin a cat.

Starting my process, I make sure my rifle is clean and remove the bolt, then put it on my Tipton Best Gun Vise, which I have mounted onto an Inline Fabrication Quick Change top plate. Side note: If you're not running the inline fab quick change, you're missing out.

 Tipton Best Gun Vise, which I have mounted onto an Inline Fabrication Quick Change top plate.

Where to Buy Inline Fabrication product

For the longest time, I did not use a bore guide. Still, I do now, mostly to control the mess. I know a lot of people like them to keep solvent from coming back into the action. I always have the rifle canted with the barrel about 5 degrees down to the floor to keep anything from coming back into the action. The bore guide I use is the Tipton one, which was available at my local gun shop.

So, that’s the setup. Let's talk about what I do to get started.

Step one is to grab the right cleaning rod for the caliber. I prefer a carbon rod, as I know that if something were to happen, it wouldn't damage my barrel. I then selected the nylon brush for the right side, matching the bore size. I soaked the brush in the solvent called Free All and ran it through the barrel five times. (BUT NEVER PULL THE BRUSH BACK TO THE CHAMBER, RUN THE ROD THROUGH, TAKE THE BRUSH OFF, THEN REPEAT FOUR MORE TIMES) I then let the bore soak for 10 minutes. Once it's done soaking, I take the same brush and put a patch over the end and run it through the barrel. I repeat this till the patch is dry that comes out of the bore.

Step two is to find the correct bore jig, then apply some bore tech carbon cleaner to the patch. Run it through the bore and let it sit and soak in the barrel for five minutes. Once it's soaked, run the patch through until it comes out dry. Repeat this step until no longer getting signs of carbon on the patch.

Step three is to repeat step two, but with Bore Tech Copper. Instead of removing carbon, you now remove copper. You are looking for a blue color; once you are no longer getting blue on the patches, step three is complete.

Patches from removing copper.

Step four is JB Bore Paste non-embedding bore cleaning compound, apply onto a patch and place on the brush on the cleaning rod. Work the patch in the bore for 20-30 passes, then push it out of the end of the barrel. Grab a clean patch and run patches through till clean. This will help remove what’s left of lead, metal, and powder fouling.

Step five: I use JB Bore Bright to polish the chamber by running a patch on a bore brush. I push it back and forth through the chamber around forty strokes. This step is not necessary, but I do it as I have found it helps with fouling over time.

Step six: I use a new bore mop and apply Hoppe’s No. 9, running it through the bore five times to remove any residue from the chamber and barrel, while also adding a little rust protection for the barrel.

Products used.

MIDWAY USA https://alnk.to/aWFwZQH

These are the steps I follow to clean a rifle, which I have found to be effective for me. However, there is more than one way to do things. So, leave a comment on how you clean, or if this process worked for you.